Wire coil container



July 15, 1958 M. M. SOMMER 2,843,260

WIRE COIL CONTAINER Filed April 9. 1956 ,Zi' l r Pm INVENTOR.

62am 9 mm ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent fifice 2,843,260 Patented July 15, 1958 WIRE COIL CONTAINER Murray M. Sommer, Crawfordsville, Ind., assignor to Mid-States Steel & Wire Co., Crawfordsvllle, Ind., a corporation of Indiana Application April 9, 1956, Serial No. 577,102

1 Claim. (Cl. 206--59) This invention relates to a wire coil container and more particularly to a container or stump on which wire coils can 'be formed and retained for handling and shipping.

It has been the custom for many years to take wire oil of a treating machine, such as a wire drawing machine or galvanizing machine in coils and to tie these into catchweight coils ranging from 25 pounds to 300 pounds, depending upon the finished size of the material. These coils were then handled and shipped loose or in some type of package for protection. These types of coils are now being produced, handled, and shipped in 600 pound to 2,000 pound continuous length coils. Since the coils are now being packaged in continuous lengths of about 600 pounds to 2,000 pounds and since the wire is coiled relatively loosely, the coils are difiieult to handle and the wire is apt to be kinked or damaged during handling. It is accordingly one of the objects of the present invention to provide a wire coil container which serves both as a stump on which the coil is formed and as a portable shipping container to support the wire during handling and shipment,

Another object is to provide a wire coil container in which an open-work core structure formed from wire or rod is secured to a 'base preferably made of wood.

According to one feature of the invention, U-shaped wire loops are arranged with their centers crossing and the end portions of their legs offset to lie flat against the base and to be secured thereto. The ends of the legs preferably extend downward into openings in the base to reinforce the wire structure and to anchor it securely to the base.

A further object is to provide a wire coil container in which a coil of wire on the base is covered by a covering which terminates below the top of the wire structure leaving the top of the wire structure exposed to be engaged by lifting means for handling the completed package.

The above and other objects and features of the invention will be more readily apparent from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure l is a perspective view of a wire coil container embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is a partial section substantially on the line 22 of Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a completed and wrapped container ready for shipment.

The container, as shown, comprises a base formed of wood planks, or the like, laid side-by-side and crossing a pair of wooden supporting rails 11. An open-work core structure is suported on the base and is formed by a pair of U-shaped loops of wire or rod having straight center portions 12 crossing each other at right angles and downwardly extending legs 13 which extend to and are supported 'by the base. The lower ends of the legs are olfset, as shown at 14, to lie flat against the upper surface of the base and are preferably secured to the base by staples 15.

According to one feature of the present invention, the legs terminate in downwardly extending end portions 16 which project through openings in the base and downwardly into the rails ll. The end portions 16 serve to strengthen and reinforce the core structure against collapsing and to secure the core structure firmly to the base against any accidental removal therefrom. Additional bracing of the legs may be provided as required by cross rods 17 extending between opposite legs and secured thereto as by welding.

A container, as so far described, may be utilized in the same manner as a conventional stump in the formation of wire coils during manufacture of the wire. As the wire is formed, it is coiled around the core structure with the lower turns of the coil resting on the base and upper turns built up around the core structure and terminating a few inches below the top thereof. After a coil has been formed on the stump, the loaded stump may easily be moved by a conventional lift truck, or the like, by inserting the forks of the truck between the rails 11 and beneath the base 10 to lift the loaded. stump. Alternatively, a truck fork element, a hook, or the like, can be engaged with the upper end of the core structure which projects above the coil to lift the loaded stump for transporting it.

After the coil is completed, it is preferably enclosed for protection during handling and shipment. As illustrated in Figure 3, the coil may first be covered by wrappings, as shown at lit in Figure 3, such as heavy wrapping paper, or the like. Preferably a wooden framework is built up around the wrapped coil comprising a top plate 19 open at its center so that the upper part of the core structure can project therethrough and with vertical slats 21 secured to and extending downwardly from the top plate. The slats may be secured in place by bindings, such as wire or strap 22, extending around the completed package.

At the bottom the slats are connected to cleats 23 which rest on and may be secured to the projecting ends of the rails 11 and to cross cleats 24 which underlie and may be secured to the ends of the base 10 which project beyond the rails 11. In this way, the covering is tightly secured to the base and will hold the coil firmly on the base and around the core structure even during relatively rough handling.

The completed enclosed container, as shown in Figure 3, may be handled in the same manner as the stump by utilizing a conventional fork lift truck. The forks of the truck can be inserted beneath the base between the rails 11 to lift the completed package or a fork, a hook, or the like, could be engaged with the projecting upper end of the open-work core structure to lift the completed package.

It will be seen that the container of the present invention is relatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture and serves the dual purpose of a conventional stump and a shipping container for wire coils. After the enclosure and wrapping is removed from the coil, the container can also serve as a stump from which the wire is payed off in using the wire.

While one embodiment of the invention has been shown and described herein, it will be understood that it is illustrative only and not to be taken as a definition of the scope of the invention, reference being bad for this purpose to the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

A wire coil support comprising a flat wooden base, wooden runners underlying the base to support it spaced above the floor, an open-work core structure supported on the base and formed of a pair of U-shaped loops of wire arranged with their center portions crossing and the ends of their legs offset to form intermediate angular portions and downwardly extending end portions, the intermediate portions lying against the top of the 'base and the end portions extending through the base into the runners, staples securing the intermediate portions to the base, the support receiving an annular coil of wire surrounding the core structure and resting on the intermediate portions of the legs, said coil of Wire terminating below the top of the U-shaped loops, and a cover having a centrally apertured top wall overlying said coil and side walls enclosing said coil and secured to the base, the tops of the loops extending through the aperture in the top wall whereby the tops of the loops are left exposed to be engaged by lifting means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 'Stowell Oct. 29, C-arruth et al. Aug. 9, Nist Feb. 11, Karp et al. Mar. 31, Ressinger June 16, Lazarus June 22, Friedman Nov. 21, Eisenberg Mar. 27, 

